What is Integrated Selling? Blog Feature
Molly D Protosow

By: Molly D Protosow on November 18th, 2013

Print/Save as PDF

What is Integrated Selling?

Digital Media Landscape | Sales Training | integrated selling | selling integrated media | 360 degree campaign

Today’s media sellers, regardless of their legacy medium, need to reinvent themselves into “Integrated Sellers.” What I mean by this is that even if you are selling newspaper advertising

network_digital-1

 for a tiny community where the demographics suggest no one is using a computer, you are still selling an integrated campaign. Why? Because enough people are going online in every community that to believe your community is an exception is an unsafe bet. There are street people in 3rd world countries that are online. Think of the last place on Earth to go digital. Guess what? Lots of those people are already signed-up for Facebook and you may be unintentionally emailing them even as we speak.


In the last few years I’ve met more than 1,000 media sellers inside and outside the US. Some of them were pushed into our Digital Media Landscape class reluctantly, hoping right up to the opening bell that this whole “internet thing” would just blow over. Well, it hasn’t and it isn’t about to soon.


We should embrace and not resist this change. The Integrated Seller is all about:

  • Ongoing Education

  • Developing Relationships 

  • Helping Brands Sell 

  • Reaching the Right People with the Right Message

 

Ongoing Education


As the phrase goes, knowledge is power, and in the case of becoming an integrated seller and selling digital media this especially rings true. One of the first steps to becoming an integrated seller is ongoing education. This is because in an industry that is constantly changing and introducing new technologies and strategies, it is essential to stay up-to-date about the evolving digital landscape. A few industry related websites and newsletters that can help get you started are:


IAB SmartBrief
All Things D 
AdAge Digital
Digiday 
MediaPost

 

Developing Relationships


Building off the importance of ongoing education, consider how your knowledge fuels your business relationships. The integrated sale is all about improving relationships in a very meaningful way. The more we understand how this new landscape works and how users engage with brands online, the more valuable a business partner we become. Once educated, we will more confidently be able to suggest a campaign that is cross-platform and covers multiple media channels, also referred to as a 360° campaign. This type of campaign works toward reaching consumers on their preferred platform and encouraging qualified users to take action that works toward creating brand awareness and then ultimately gaining new customers. The more we understand, the better we can act as a resource to our clients and business partners.


Helping Brands Sell


As an integrated salesperson, we must be able to help brands understand the various business opportunities that are available to them. We can help them identify opportunities they might be missing or we can help find the sweet spots in the marketplace where they can reach and hold on to more customers. While mass reach media may create awareness, today’s businesses must have a digital presence in order for customers to find them, learn about them and eventually buy from them. And in today’s marketing place, we must consider each and every platform, especially mobile devices. Recent research suggests that the mobile web is growing 14 times faster than desktop traffic, as consumers interact with apps, social network and email from a slew of smart devices.


Reaching the Right People with the Right Message


The Integrated Seller knows that reaching a targeted, qualified audience is only half the battle. In order to reach the right people at the right time with the right message, we must distinguish between users at the top, middle, and bottom of the buying funnel. To do this, consider what type of content is being used to attract users and encourage interaction. Are the top of the funnel prospects getting information that is geared to educating them about your product or service? Or are they receiving information that is geared more toward prospects that are at the bottom of the funnel and are ready to buy? Think before sending. It’s important that we send relevant messaging to the appropriate people because if they receive a message they are interested in, it will result in higher levels of interaction and engagement.

What are you doing to “integrate” yourself as a salesperson?

Want to hear what other salespeople are talking about? Join the discussion in our LinkedIn group "What Would a Great Salesperson Do?"

three_question_marks-1
 

About Molly D Protosow

Molly Protosow is the COO and Training Strategist for DMTraining. She manages the day-to-day business and training operations while helping research and develop new training programs as well as refreshing signature programs to reflect the newest sales trends, technology, and best practices. Molly utilizes her wide-range of skills to create sales and marketing assets focused on delivering value to DMT’s clients. Molly has a passion for learning and leveraging new knowledge and experiences. Outside of DMTraining, Molly is a hard core Pittsburgh sports fan, enjoys staying active by running and golfing, and unwinds by reading and playing the piano.

  • Connect with Molly D Protosow